Everything Has Changed
by lovelifeandwatermelons
Summary: Sequel to The Story of Us. It's been about a year and four months since Jack and Kim went on their first date. A year since Kim left Seaford for New York City. Ten months since anyone last heard from Kim. Two days since she finally returned home to Seaford. Now, Kim, Jack, and the the gang are entering into their senior year at Seaford High. Full summary inside. ON HIATUS
1. Home Again

**Summary: **The sequel to The Story of Us. It's been about a year and four months since Jack and Kim went on their first date. A year since Kim left Seaford for New York City. Ten months since anyone last heard from Kim. Two days since she finally returned home to Seaford.

Now, Kim, Jack, and the rest of the gang are entering into their senior year at Seaford High. This last year of high school will be filled with drama, heartbreak, stress, friendship, and trials. Not only that, but though Kim's a different person now, she's not the only one who's changed. Jack, the gang, even Seaford High- Everything Has Changed.

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**Hey, guys! First off, this story is the sequel to The Story of Us. If you haven't read it yet, you can find it on my profile! If you read it, you're probably going to understand this story much better than if you don't.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Kickin' It. It would be nice if I did, but I don't. Also, this story is fictional, meaning that any resemblance between characters and real life people (excluding the cast of Kickin' It) is coincidental, as well as any resemblance between places in the story and in real life.**

**So.. now that all that's over with, I give you the first chapter of Everything Has Changed! (yeah, I know, I'm overdramatic. It's just a me thing, haha!)**

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**Kim's POV**

The house is quiet, silent, even. My parents haven't come home from grocery shopping yet, and so I'm alone. I take a deep breath, and even after an entire year, this house still smells like it used to- it smells like home. It feels so great to be back in Seaford again- I missed this place so much you wouldn't believe it.

Silently, I enter my room and walk over to the window, pushing it open. The light, California breeze flows into the room, and I can hear birds chirping and twittering cheerfully nearby. Looking around at the heavy, brown moving boxes scattered on the laminated wooden floor, I begin to unpack.

Sitting down on the hard floor and opening the box closest to me, I rip the tape off the top and find that it's the box I never opened. The box that sat under my bed for an entire year, the box full of the things that comfort me and remind me of home. I move to turn it upside down and dump it on the floor, but then remember that there's probably something breakable in there. So instead, I reach in.

Then I pause for a moment, for some odd reason, with my hand already on its way into the box. Biting my lip and closing my eyes, I thrust my hand into the box and grab the first thing I touch.

I pull it out, opening my eyes. It's…. oh. A lone tear escapes my defenses, running down my cheek. It's an intricate silver picture frame with two pictures in it- on the left is a picture of Jack and I playing together way back when we were little, and on the right is a photo taken the day I left Seaford. Jack's arm is around my waist, and I'm snuggled against his chest.

Neither of us is looking at the camera- I've got my eyes shut tight, savoring the moment, and he's looking at me with eyes full of utmost adoration. Studying the picture, I put it aside and reach into the box again, hoping to grab something less… important to me.

No such luck, though. It's another picture frame. Without looking, I stuff it back in and grab another box. I'll deal with that one later.

I open this box and turn it upside down, spilling the contents on the floor. They scatter, clattering and clunking. Oops, they're not clothes like I thought they were. I sure hope I didn't break anything. Oh, wait. A small, familiar-looking book with purple pages has fallen open and is lying right in front of me. I pick it up.

It turns out to be my old diary, the one I used to write in all the time. Picking it up gingerly and looking it over, my eyes fall on the open pages.

_August 14, 2012_

_Today, I walked into the kitchen to make dinner, and guess what? I was hit with the smell of cooking. Yes, that's right, I said real cooking. I couldn't believe it at first, and it got even weirder when I noticed my mom and dad both sitting at the table, waiting for me to come in. Since when does my mom cook, and since when do we eat dinner together?_

_So I sat down, right? _

_There was lasagna on the table. I scoffed. It was probably one of those ready-to-bake lasagnas. I spooned some on my plate after noticing my parents both had food on theirs already._

_"Thanks for cooking, mom." I said._

_"You're welcome, hun."_

_Then we ate in silence for a while._

_And then my mom was like, "Kimberly, honey, your father and I have some news."_

_My mom always calls me Kimberly. I hate it, but I don't say anything, because, well, she's my mom._

_So they told me that my dad had been promoted and we were moving to New York City in a week._

_That was pretty much what they said- "Your dad has been promoted, and we're moving to New York City in two weeks."_

_I sat there with my mouth open for a while. My fork paused halfway to my mouth._

_"You just said what now?" Was all I could manage to say._

_"We're moving to New York." My dad said, like it was just that simple. We're moving to New York, yeah, no big deal. It's not going to be a life-changing thing or anything._

_"Do we have to?" I hated that I sounded like a whiny little kid._

_"Yes, we do. You have no say in the matter. Start packing." My dad got up and left the table._

_I glanced at my mom, who sighed and got up without a word._

_I finished my lasagna alone. _

_When I got to my room, I just sat there on my bed, and looked around. In two weeks, I'm going to be thousands of miles away from here. _

I skip a few pages and continue reading.

_August 21, 2012_

_I'm leaving today. My parents have allowed me to go to the dojo first to say goodbye to everyone, then they're picking me up after two hours to take me to the airport._

_My room is bare now; everything has been packed away and sent ahead to our new house in New York. The only things left are my bed, which we're not taking with us, and the two bags in the middle of my room that I'm bringing with me on the airplane. That's it. _

_Well, I'm going to go say goodbye to my house now._

_I'm in the plane now. Seaford has long disappeared from the windows. _

_Saying goodbye to my friends was heartbreaking. I don't even think I can write about it here without crying. And I don't cry. So I won't tell you what happened, just that it was heartbreaking. They made me promise never to forget them- but how could I? How could I forget my friends?_

_I'm definitely going to keep in contact with them. After all, as Jack put it, nothing splits the Wasabi Warriors up. Nothing. And nothing's gonna split up Grace and I, either. She's been such a good friend to me and this move won't change that._

_I'm too sad right now to write much. I'm mad at my parents for making me move, but I know that it's the best thing that's happened to them for a long time, and I love them too much to complain about it. _

_Not that they've ever told me they love me or anything._

_Sigh. I can't stop thinking about Jack- he refused to let me leave without him, and managed to talk my parents into letting him come to the airport with us. He left my side at the last possible second, and even then, it was reluctantly. I don't like not knowing when I'm gonna see him again. He means the world to me. I wonder if he's thinking about me as much as I'm thinking about him. _

_I sure hope this long-distance thing with him works. I'm worried it might not, after all, my parents never told me when I'm coming back to Seaford. It might be in a few months, it might be.. never._

_December 6, 2012_

_I haven't had much time to write lately- you wouldn't believe how hectic settling in was! New York is so amazing. I don't even know why I didn't want to come here! It's so amazing that I forgot about this diary until earlier today, when I found it nestled in a drawer and decided to write in it again. _

_I just read my last entry. Wow. August.. that's a long time ago. I can't believe it was only, what? Three months? Three months since I moved here to New York. It feels like forever ago. _

_Well, I suppose I should tell you a little about my life here. As my dad promised, we live in a HUGE mansion. Well, huge compared to our old house, anyways. It's not a palace or anything. We don't live in downtown New York, but instead in a neighborhood where there's lots of houses like ours- big, with gates and fancy cars. Yes, we did also buy a new car. It's a Mercedes, and my mom adores it. _

_My parents are hardly ever home, so I can do as I please. I've made some new friends at the school I go to now. My dad wanted to send me to one of those posh all-girls' private schools, but I adamantly refused, so I'm going to New York High _(made it up. If it's real… sorry!)_. It's gigantic, and there are thousands of students there. Thousands. It's nothing like Seaford High, which is beginning to seem more and more imaginary the longer I stay here._

_Which reminds me. I haven't heard from any of my old friends back in Seaford for a while. We exchanged emails and had the occasional Skype call for the first two months, but soon we all became too busy. They've been pushed to the back of my mind, much like all my other memories of home. _

_Actually… I wonder how they're doing. I feel like I should email them or something, but … I don't really feel like it right now. I think I'll do it later. I wonder how Jack's doing. _

_Does he still think of me, from time to time?_

_We never officially broke up, but sometimes, it feels like we did. We just.. drifted apart, and it seems neither of us has the heart to end this floundering relationship. It's not that I don't love him anymore, in fact, I still love him as much as I did the first time I said it to him. _

_I wonder if he still loves me._

_Sometimes, I sit at my brand-new, purple laptop and stare at my inbox, waiting and hoping to see an email from him appear at the top of the screen. _

_But since the end of October, it never has._

_I wonder what life's like, back in Seaford. I wonder how the dojo's doing. I even wonder what happened with the whole Milton-and-Julie thing, and if Grace and Jerry are still dating. Oh, Grace. I miss her so much. She was the last one I got an email from, you know. The last to drift away. I wonder if she's made a new best friend, to replace me._

_Well, I haven't exactly made a new best friend to replace her- not yet, at least. I was pretty quiet at school for a while, but I've warmed up to these girls in my class. Their names are Mia, Sarah, and Jenna. Oddly, they're all popular girls. I've never been into the whole cool-kid sort of thing, and I've always avoided these kinds of people, but they seem genuinely nice. _

_Well, boy-craziness and drinking parties aside, anyways._

_Oh, someone's calling me. I think it's Mia, calling about that party on Saturday. I'd better go. _

I flip the page, expecting to read more. But it's blank, and so are all the others after it. I guess that was the last time I wrote, then.

Reading those words made me realize how different I am now. How much I've changed from the girl who used to live in this bedroom. New York changed me more than I wanted it to, more than I was hoping it would.

I glance down at my pale pink, one-shouldered crop top and leather skater skirt, neither of which that old Kim would've worn. She would've hated this.

But she isn't me, not anymore.

Suddenly, it strikes me- shouldn't I tell any of my old friends that I'm back? After all, I've been yearning to come back here to see them for ages.

Before I can change my mind or chicken out, I slip my pink phone out of my pocket and start dialing Jack's number. Halfway through, I pause.

I think I've actually forgotten it.

Searching my contacts, I realize I never transferred my contacts from my old phone to this one. All I've got are my friends from New York.

Oh, wait. I've got his number stored in my email account. I should probably check there.

A few moments later, the phone is ringing.

I'm nervous, because I haven't talked to him for so long. And.. we never broke up, so technically we're still dating. Isn't that kind of odd? I think it's kind of odd. Yeah, it's kind of odd.

Oh, great. I'm babbling in my head. That's never a good sign.

I wait, patiently, for him to pick up.

He picks up on the third ring.

"Hello?" I ask, nervously.

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**Bwahahahaha yes I just ended the first chapter in a cliffy. So.. since this story is called 'Everything Has Changed', what do you think has changed about Kim, Jack, Milton, Jerry, Grace, Eddie, and the rest of them since the end of tenth grade? **

**What do you think's happened since Kim left? And is there anything you want to see happen in this story?**

** Please review and tell me! It would make my day!**

** By the way, for those of you who are used to my frequent updates, I'm sad to say that this story won't be updated as frequently as I'd like to update it. Since I'm back at school, I'm going to have hardly any time to write. It makes me sad, but it's reality.**

** So.. yeah. What did you think? Review!**

** Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	2. Jack, It's Me

**You guys are seriously the awesomest. I know I say that all the time…. But it's true! I'm so glad you liked the first chapter. I hope you like this one just as much! (if you don't, I won't blame you because I was working through a bit of writer's block. I wish I had more time to write..) Oh, by the way, so sorry this is so late. I really hate my schedule right now. It's the worst. Sooo busy.. but anyways..**

** Jack's POV**

"No, no, please don't hurt me." The scrawny, red-headed boy who accidentally tripped me scrambles away from me, frightened. We're alone the dark, deserted alley between two apartment buildings. This is a place I'd rather avoid.. but I can't explain why I'm here right now. "Please, it was an accident. I didn't mean to. I really, really didn't."

"Sure didn't look like one." I growl. I lunge forwards suddenly, making him squeal a little and step back. He crashes into the wall behind him. Laughing, I grab the collar of his shirt. "You're going to regret it." I say, my face inches from his.

I'm glaring at him and enjoying- well, trying to enjoy, at least- the scared look on his face when my pocket starts buzzing. I curse, letting go of the boy, who runs away from me the second I release him.

I fumble for my phone, which is stuck in my pocket. Finally, it slips out. I press the 'answer call' button without bothering to check the caller ID.

"Hello?" A girl's voice asks on the other end of the line. She sounds a little familiar… "Izzy?" I guess.

"No." The girl sounds a little disappointed. "Wait, this is Jack, right?"

There's something about her voice… something..

"Yeah. Why?"

I hear a quiet sigh. "Jack, it's me. Kimberly."

"Kim?" I'm more than a little confused right now. "Who?"

There's a brief silence.

The girl sighs again. "Never mind, Jack." Her tone is full of sadness, and a hint of disbelief. "I didn't think you'd forget me in just a year, but it looks like you have. See you sometime. Bye."

"Wait, no, I'm sorry-" I try to apologize, still wondering why her voice sounds so familiar. I don't know any girls named Kimberly, though, aside from Kim. And she hates being called Kimberly. I scuff the toes of my worn skate shoe against the rough ground. But it's too late; she's already hung up.

I stuff the phone back into the pocket of my jeans. I'll figure it out later. For now, I've got something to do, and I'd better get it done.

**Kim's POV**

I can't believe he didn't recognize my voice. Jack, the person who knows me better than I know myself. The one who told me he'd love me forever. The boy I used to make mud castles with, when we were just kindergarteners.

How could things change so fast, that Jack would forget me?

I stare at the phone in my hand, remembering how, on my way home, I noticed all the new apartment buildings that have sprung up around the formerly small city. There's so many more people here than there were last year. I wonder what's up with that?

Could life here in Seaford possibly change so much in just a short year?

Well, maybe Jack was just in shock from hearing my voice or something. That's what I hope it is.

If it's not, I won't know what to think. Or what to do.

How could he forget about me so fast?

Well, let's not jump to conclusions. He was probably distracted… or something.

He can't have forgotten me. That's just not possible!

**Grace's POV**

** "**This new mall is so fabulous! I can't believe I was upset when the old strip mall got torn down. When they said they were building a new mall, they totally delivered!"**(AN: in case anyone is confused, the old strip mall got torn down when Kim was in NY. Might be useful to know. Kim doesn't know yet, though.)** Heather squeals as she, Kelsey, Nikki and I browse the clothing racks in the trendiest new store. The floor is so shiny, I can literally see my own reflection each time I look down. Golden lights are embedded in the ceiling, giving the store a warm glow, and the racks, shelves and displays are full of expensive clothing and accessories I wouldn't have been able to afford just six months ago. It's a really pretty store.. I guess… but I don't think the clothes are quite worth the money.

"I don't know, I sort of miss the old one. Not that this one's not great or anything, it's just..."Nikki sighs as she puts another shirt back on the rack. I glance up from the pretty blue skirt I'm holding to gauge Kelsey's reaction. Does Nikki know that Kelsey's dad helped design the new mall…?

"What do you mean?" Kelsey asks, her tone carrying a quiet undercurrent of anger. She slams the hanger she was holding back onto the rack. The yellow, fluttery dress drops to the floor, but she ignores it, kicking it aside. "My dad designed this mall. He made sure it was filled with only the best stores. No loser dojos or lizard stores allowed."

"Yeah, I'm so glad they got rid of that dojo. It was a total eyesore." Heather adds. "So unneeded." I'm not really surprised Heather sided with Kelsey. She, like, worships Kelsey. No one really knows why…

"That's not a word." I mutter, trying to be quiet. She hears me anyways.

"Who cares!"

"So, anyways, I was thinking, for that party, maybe" Kelsey begins.

_"I looked in my rearview mirror, and it seemed to make a lot more sense, than what I see ahead of us, ahead of us.."_ My phone buzzes.

Kelsey glares at me. "Way to interrupt, Grace! And for the record? I hate that song." **(A/N: You get a virtual cupcake if you can tell me which song that is WITHOUT googling it. And, no, I do not hate it. Kelsey does, but I don't. It's actually my favorite song right now..)**

"One sec." I answer the call, walking away. "Hello?"

"Hi. Umm, this is Grace, right?" A familiar-sounding voice asks. It almost sounds like… Kim… could it be her?

"Yeah. Why?" I ask.

"Grace, it's me. Kim." YES! I knew it!

"Kim? Hey! I miss you so much. What's up? How's New York?" I grin, even though she can't see me. I forgot to ask her for her new cell phone number, so I lost contact with her a while ago. It's so good to hear from her again.

"Actually, that's the thing. I'm not in New York." She confesses.

"You're not?" I stop walking, focusing on my phone. "What do you mean? Where are you, then?"

"I'm back in Seaford." I can hear her smile over the phone.

"No. Way."

"Yes. Way."

"This is awesome! I can't believe you're back!" I squeal, jumping up and down. A lady in a professional-looking pantsuit stares at me. I grin at her, and she walks away shaking her head.

"Me neither! Oh, are you busy now? You can come over, if you want." She offers. "I'm dying of loneliness anyways."

"Sorry, I can't. I'm kind of busy right now." I cringe slightly, glancing behind me at the three girls I'm shopping with. I'd rather hang out with Kim than them.. but.. my mom wants me to 'spend more time with the girls of your social stature'. Whatever that means.

"Oh, that's all right. I'm going to Seaford High, so I'll see you when school starts then."

"Okay. Bye. I can't wait to see you again!"

"Me neither! Bye."

I end the call and slip my phone back into my purse. I head back towards the girls.

"I'm back. Sorry it took so long." I apologize.

"Who was it?" Nikki tilts her head to the side. "And why are you so happy?"

"Oh, just an old friend." If they knew it was Kim… well, let's just say things could get a little ugly… Kim has kicked their butts more than once because they were getting a little too close to Jack. None of them really like her.

I can't believe Kim's back. This is so swasome.

"So, as I was saying," Kelsey takes the opportunity to glare at me again. I zone out, though. Who cares about her party? Definitely not me.

**Three days later….Kim's POV ( I'm thinking most of this story is gonna be from Kim's POV, since when I'm writing the other POVs I feel so awkward.. but with Kim's POV, the words just flow onto the page… haha does that even make any sense? No? Oh well. Anyways…)**

I shut and lock the front door behind me, then turn and begin walking to school. I tug the neckline of my pink lace dress up self-consciously and smooth out the sleeves of my studded white leather jacket as I walk.

As I make my way through the neighborhood, I notice that a few homes have been replaced by large, fancy-looking houses with shiny, expensive cars parked behind intricate fences on the artfully paved driveways. This sure doesn't look like a middle-class neighborhood anymore. I'm so glad nothing happened to my house. I know my parents were having some trouble with this construction company that wanted to buy our property and tear down our house back in January. I'm so glad they didn't let that happen.

I reach the spot where my smaller street connects to the main street and slow to a stop. It's deserted. Jack's not standing there at the corner waiting for me. I bite my lip, somehow saddened and disappointed by that, but I shake it off.

I mean, why would I expect him to be waiting there for me after an entire year?

Why would he come wait here for me after he's already forgotten who Kimberly Crawford is?

I mentally kick myself as I continue on my way. Of course he's not there! Why would he be?

The school comes into view as I round the corner. Wow. It looks… There's so many more kids streaming in through the front doors, the paint is fresh, the grass is greener than usual.. what happened here? Come on, we're talking about the school that couldn't even raise enough money to fund their basketball program. Where'd they get the money for the new paint and the shiny glass windows..?

As I'm crossing the crowded parking lot, which also has fresh white paint marking the parking spaces, I glance behind me to check for cars. The next thing I know, I'm falling forwards. Just before my knees can hit the rough grey pavement, though, someone grabs my arm and hauls me up.

When I'm on my feet, I turn around to face my 'rescuer', I guess. I don't like to be thought of as a damsel in distress… but… whatever.

His familiar face hits me like a punch in the gut. No, not literally. That would've been awkward. What I meant was, I saw his face and felt like I got punched in the gut. There, that's better.

He looks into my eyes, and… there's a little flash of recognition. But it's gone as quickly as it came.

"Do I know you?" He asks hesitantly. But before I can respond, he quickly adds, "Never mind, sorry. You just look familiar. I'll see you around." He flashes me the same smile that used to make my heart melt- it still does- before letting go of my arm, turning around, and walking away.

"Wait, Jack!" But it's too late. He's gone.

I stand there, beside the parking lot, staring after him. Students walk past me, laughing and talking, but I just stand there.

He didn't even recognize me.

How is that even possible?

Yes, I'm sure it's Jack. Yeah, so he looks a little different. No, a lot. What's with the leather jacket and the biker boots? The Jack I know would never wear those. But even then, there's no mistaking that hair.

I glance down at my outfit. White platform sandals, pink lace dress, and leather jacket. I shrug. I guess the old Kim wouldn't have worn this sort of stuff- in fact, she would've killed anyone who could possibly force her into this. But still! He looked into my eyes!

How did he not.. ugh!

**So… what'd you think? Good, bad, hated it, loved it? Is there anything you want to see happen in this story? Was there anything confusing? Review and tell me! I'll try my very best to update faster next time. Love you all!**

** Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	3. You've Changed

**Hahaha I hate writers' block. And I've been busy packing for camp, cause I leave tomorrow. So.. another late update! Sorry!**

** Shoutouts to the following people for getting the name of the song right in the last chapter:**

** LOVESUCKS87**

** OneDirectionGirl27**

** Grace's POV**

I smack my delicious cherry-flavored bubble gum as I head towards the front doors of the school alone. Absent-mindedly, I skirt a group of sophomore girls who are hugging each other and squealing about how long it's been since they last saw each other. Wow. Can't believe that used to be me.

My gaze sweeps the front of the school. Unfamiliar faces are everywhere, and suddenly I feel like Seaford isn't the same small fishing town that it used to be, back when I was just a little kid. There's an exotic-looking girl with long, beautiful black hair standing beside the door with a huge pair of headphones on, and a girl with a cotton-candy colored pixie cut and a really cute sweater zooming past me on a bright pink skateboard.

I spot a few cute guys joking around with each other and passing a football around on the field. That's not it, though. There's so many new kids, you can literally smell it in the air. Kim used to call it the new-kid smell…

I spot another newbie standing frozen at the edge of the crowded parking lot, her highlighted blonde hair fluttering in the soft breeze. She's got a really nice dress- I make a mental note to approach her later and ask where she got it. She seems to be looking at someone… I follow her gaze and withhold a gasp- she's staring right at Jack's retreating back, a mixture of heartbreak, sadness, and love.

I only know one girl who could look at Jack with that much love in her eyes. Not that other girls don't like him, or anything, but they never look at him like _that._

No.

Freaking.

Way.

It's her.

"Kim!" I scream, dashing towards her. People turn and stare- oops, I screamed loud, didn't I? A book falls out of my open bag, but I ignore it. She turns, eyes wide and slightly panicked until she sees me.

"Grace!" I crush her in a hug. "Umm.. Grace? Can you let go? You're killing me."

"Oops, sorry." I release her, smiling sheepishly. "Anyways, I can't believe you're back! I missed you so much. How was New York? Ooh, nice hair. When'd you get it highlighted? It looks so good. Do you know what classes you're in yet?"

"Slow down, I can only answer one question at a time." She smiles, then hugs me. "I'm happy to see you too."

_BRIIIING_

_ BRIIIING_

"Ughh." I groan. "That's the warning bell. Ten minutes until class." I look around, noticing almost everyone's inside. There's only a handful of kids still heading towards the front doors, and most of them are running.

"I guess I'd better get going, then. Meet me at the front doors at break?"

"Sure. See ya." We separate and head for our lockers. I find my locker almost right away and dump half of my stuff inside before running to class, which just has to be on the other side of the school. Lucky me, right?

The bell rings again just as I slip into the last seat left in the room. The teacher's back is turned; she's writing something on the board.

'Turn to page one of your Humanities 12 textbook, please." She turns around. Ooh, this one's a mean one. She's already glaring at us- and it's only the first day!

I open my bag, rummaging through it. Where's my textbook? Oh no. This is bad. If it's not here, where could it be? Mentally, I retrace my steps.

I think I dropped it in the parking lot.

Oops.

**Jack's POV**

I slouch in my seat at the back of a classroom. Don't ask me which one- they all look the same. Walls, door, teacher, desks, whiteboard. The teacher, a pretty brunette, is droning on and on about some basic classroom rules. What are we, kindergarteners? Pity she's so boring, it sort of cancels out how pretty she is. You know what I mean?

It's the first day, and I already hate this class. I don't even know what class it is, I just hate it.

Since I have no interest in 'basic classroom rules', I zone out. My mind drifts to that girl in the parking lot. I mentally replay the scene again. Walking along.. girl falls into my arms- literally- I stare into her eyes, ask her if I know her, then walk away.

I can't shake the feeling that I know her from somewhere. She looks so familiar- almost like Kim. Maybe.. no, that can't be possible. Kim wouldn't be caught dead in anything pink, much less a pink lacy dress. But that girl could almost be Kim's identical twin, if you don't count the clothes, makeup, and fancy hairdo.

Out of the blue, that weird phone conversation crosses my mind. The girl sounded like Kim.. and said something about a year, which is exactly how long Kim's been gone… but she called herself Kimberly. Kim hates her real name.

"Ughh." I groan, resting my head on my desk. This doesn't make any sense. I'm pretty sure Kim doesn't have a twin, especially not with the same name as her… So it's got to be Kim, right?

I think for a moment.

Nah, it's not her.

It can't be.

**Kim's POV, at lunch **

I wander through the hallways, lunch and phone in hand. Grace has clubs at lunch, just like she used to, so I'm alone for now. The silence is actually a little welcome; I'm not in the cafeteria because it's so loud and crowded. So apparently they upgrade the parking lot, but not the cafeteria. Hm.

I push the back door open and step out into the cold air, letting the wind whip my hair to the side as I make my way across the field to the lone picnic bench that, if I remember correctly, is just around the corner of the school. I'm in a 'leave me alone' mood today, it seems.

Shivering slightly, I begin to wish I'd worn something warmer today. It's a pretty cold day, for North California. Kind of unusual, come to think of it. But then again, New York's always this cold, so I should be used to it. I'm not, though. I guess I'm just a Cali girl at heart.

I'm almost to the corner when I choke on the smell of smoke. I look around frantically, trying to find the source of the smell. I don't see any flames consuming the school or the trees- so where could it be coming from?

I continue to walk, covering my mouth and nose with my hand. The second I turn the corner, I instantly understand.

It isn't a fire I smell.

It's the stench of burning cigarettes.

Six guys are leaning against the school wall, smoking cigarettes. The picnic bench is gone. The guys haven't noticed me yet; they're either too busy enjoying their smokes, texting, or arguing about something.

I turn to leave and find another place to enjoy my lunch in peace when I notice something. Involuntarily, I do a double take.

On the far left of the row of boys is Jack, staring at his phone and texting frantically. After my initial shock, I notice with relief that he's the only one not smoking. But.. wait- beside Jack, is that Jerry? In a _leather jacket_? What?

Have they joined a gang?

I turn to leave, still confused. Jack wouldn't join a gang, would he?

Would he?

**Jack's POV**

I stare at the screen of my phone, launching a tiny red bird at the structure of wood and pigs. "Die, die, die." I chant. I've been stuck on this level of Angry Birds for ages. It's quite pathetic, actually, how addicted I am to this game. I don't even know why I'm always playing it. I just.. stop judging me! I can't explain it, okay?

I watch as the bird crashes through a pile of wooden planks, striking the last fat green pig left. It chortles gleefully one last time, then disappears.

I look up from the screen. "YES!" I begin to yell, but the word dies on my lips, because right there, walking away, is the girl from the parking lot this morning. The one that could almost be Kim.

After a moment's hesitation, I mutter a quick "Be right back." to Jerry, then start towards her just before she turns the corner. She doesn't hear me coming, either that, or she doesn't turn around.

She's not walking very fast, probably because she's wearing heels. Her scent drifts to me on the wind, and am hit by a sharp pang.

Vanilla and a slight hint of cherries.

It's the exact same as Kim's.

I walk faster, determined to talk to her. If she's Kim… But she can't be. But she has to be.

I can't make up my mind.

Which is why I need to talk to her.

I try to walk a little louder in hopes she'll turn around and spare me the trouble of trying to get her attention.

Sure enough, she hears me and turns around, her highlighted blonde hair fluttering gently in the cool breeze.

"What do you want, Jack?" She questions, her voice so soft I almost don't hear it.

"I- I'm sorry. I just wanted to talk to you." I reply.

She sighs heavily, pulling her cardigan closer to her. She looks cold. "Jack, I.. you promised you wouldn't forget me. You told me you loved me. So I'm going to ask you. Don't you remember?" She just stands there, looking at me, dress and hair blowing in the wind, shivering slightly.

I look at her, trying to see past the makeup and elaborate hair.

"Kim?" I guess. If it looks like Kim- well, sort of- and talks like Kim- again, sort of- then it's gotta be Kim, right?

What other girl could possibly claim that I'd once told her I loved her, anyways?

She continues to look at me, the expression on her pretty face unreadable.

After what seems like forever, she moves to tuck her hair behind her ear. "Yeah. I'm back from New York."

I raise my eyebrows. "I can see that."

There's a brief awkward silence. I feel like I should apologize, somehow, for not knowing who she was.

So I do. "Kim, listen, I'm sorry I didn't know who you were right away. When you called me- you called me, right?" She nods, and I continue. "When you called me, you called yourself Kimberly. You hate being called Kimberly. And this morning, when I caught you just before you would've done a faceplant on the concrete- because I'm just that awesome- I noticed that not only were you wearing pink, but you were wearing lace. And heels. And makeup.

The Kim I know wouldn't be caught dead in any of that stuff." I bite my lip uncertainly, hoping she won't be offended. "You've changed." I admit softly.

**Kim's POV**

"Oh, yeah, and you haven't?" I challenge him. "What's with the whole 'leather jacket and hanging out with smokers' thing? You didn't used to do that, and neither did Jerry! How can you say I've changed when you went from 'hero' to 'gang member'?"

He rakes a hand through his hair self-consciously. "It's not a gang." He retorts defensively.

"Mhmm. Whatever helps you sleep at night, hun." I smile teasingly. He grins back, and soon I'm wondering why I was annoyed at him just moments ago.

"I'm sorry. I just missed you so much.. and.." He shrugs, seemingly at a loss for words. "It's so good to see you again."

"You too." Before I can stop myself, I step forwards and hug him. "I missed you so much." I mumble into his chest. He freezes for a moment, then relaxes and hugs me back.

**Sorry if it was boring or anything.. doesn't writer's block suck? Anyways, please review, and if there's anything specific you want to see happen in this story, don't hesitate to tell me! I love suggestions! **

**I'm leaving for camp tomorrow morning and am gonna be there for a few days, so the next update might come a bit earlier since I'll have time to write on the way there. No promises, though. **

**Thanks for reading!**

**Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	4. Wonderful Luck

**Sorry! Another late update. I'll explain why in my AN at the bottom… just in case you're wondering.**

**Hahahahaha so I was reading the first chapter of The Story of Us and I was like woow that sounds really weird.. did I really write that? I guess my writing has improved at least a little since I joined this fandom and that makes me happy. Lol but now I'm ashamed of my old writing..**

**Kim's POV**

**A few days later**

I haven't seen Jack much lately. Since Monday, I've maybe talked to him about four times. Not that we're never in any of the same classes or anything, but he's always with his new friends, and to be honest, they kind of scare me. No, they creep me out and scare me, not to mention they seem like bad influences. I wonder how Jack and Jerry ended up with them- I've been meaning to ask Jack that, but I keep on forgetting.

So, as it turns out, lots of my old friends are also gone. Eddie's moved to England to live with his aunt and uncle- he left just three months ago-, Julie moved to North Carolina with Ty, and Albert's transferred to Swathmore Academy. I guess I wasn't the only one who left Seaford.

It's Friday now, and the final bell just rang. I make my way through the crammed hallways, doing my best not to bump into anyone. Again, it strikes me how many people live here now. What happened to the Seaford I used to know?

Tucking my unruly hair behind my ears, I hug my books to my chest and try to ignore the noisy group of freshmen jostling me as they walk by. Just ahead of me, Jack's leaning against my locker, phone in hand. I smile and slip through the crowd towards him.

He sees me and his face immediately brightens. "Hey, Kim." His lips move, but I can't hear him because he's overpowered by the voices of the other students. I wave a quick hello, then spin my lock around and grab my messenger bag. Stuffing my books and phone inside, I tilt my head and motion for him to follow me.

We weave through the crowd until we reach the back door. I push it open, and am immediately hit by how quiet it is outside. Or maybe it's just really loud inside.

"Umm.. Jack?" I question as we continue to walk. "Do you still walk home?"

He hesitates. "Sometimes, why?"

"You wanna walk home with me?" I offer, pleading silently that he'll say yes. Please…

"Sure." He replies. I smile in relief. It's been so long since I've really been able to talk to him, and I haven't even had a chance to catch up with him yet.

"So, how's life been? Win any trophies lately?" I ask as we cross the street.

Jack freezes and stares at me."What?"

The light turns green. I grab his arm and pull him along, reaching safety just moments before the cars begin to move again. Once we're on the sidewalk, I let go.

Jack's still staring at me. "What?" He repeats.

"I said, win any trophies lately? Karate trophies?" I look at him oddly. Is that question so hard to understand?

"You don't know?" He continues to stare at me. My gaze is drawn to the cars zipping by. Red, blue, red, white, silver, green, silver… I stare until they become streaks of color blurring by. "No one told you?"

"No one told me what?" I ask, more than a little confused. "What do I not know?"

He sighs."Kim.. I… The.. I don't do karate anymore. I-"

"You just said what now?" I interrupt him. He tries to say something, but I cut him off agai. "How could you not do karate anymore? Karate is your life, your passion, your talent! You can't not do karate anymore. That's like saying birds don't fly anymore. Well, penguins don't, but you get the idea." Oh, great. Now I'm rambling.

"Kim." Jack tries unsuccessfully to get my attention. "Kim?"

"Karate isn't just something you quit! Karate is more than a sport. It's a lifestyle. Isn't that what Rudy told us? Isn't that what you believe?" I finally pause to take a breath.

"I didn't quit." He mutters.

"Wha?"

"I didn't quit." He repeats, louder this time.

"No, I heard you the first time. I meant _wha_?"

"Ohh." Jack nods. "Right. You know how the strip mall got replaced? Well, the new owner of the new mall wanted it to be a 'classier' mall. That pretty much meant that the Bobby Wasabi Dojo and the Black Dragons dojo both got kicked out."

"But they relocated, right?" They have to have relocated. There's just no other option.

"That's the thing. They didn't." Or maybe there is another option..

"What do you mean?" I question.

He shrugs sadly, shaking his head. "Neither of them could find anyone in town willing to rent them space for a dojo. For a while we tried doing karate outdoors or at someone's house, but that didn't really work too well.

So eventually, Ty went bankrupt and was forced to move to North Carolina to live with his mom- that's why Julie had to move- and Rudy moved to Taiwan because his grandpa got him a job managing an amusement park or something over there."

"Wha?" My voice cracks, so I clear my throat before I continue. "Rudy moved to Taiwan?"

"Pretty much." Jack looks at the ground. "There are no other dojos in town, and even if there were, the Bobby Wasabi Dojo is- no, was- my home. I can't imagine taking karate anywhere else."

"Oh." I'm at a complete loss for words. What are you supposed to say when you find out your second home, where you spent hours and hours training and laughing with your friends, is gone?

"Yeah." We're quiet for a while, and when Jack starts walking, I do too.

"So what about the others? What do they do now?" I ask.

"The others?" He looks confused.

"You know… Milton, Jerry, Eddie, Bryden?" I remind him.

"Milton's president of the math club now, since Albert moved to Swathmore, and Jerry.. I actually don't really know."

"You hang out with him, though, right?" I glance at him.

"Yeah, but I.. I don't know. We don't really talk about much anymore. Anyways, you probably already know Eddie moved to England. That's pretty much it."

I'm too busy listening to him that I don't realize I've walked into the grass growing beside the sidewalk. My ankle turns in a hole in the ground, and I stumble and fall- well, almost. Jack catches me- for the second time today.

"Someone's a little clumsy today." He grins, setting me back on my feet, but not letting go of my waist. I hate that he's tall enough to carry me now. No, I take that back. I actually sort of like it…

Then my gaze drifts over his eyes and I'm caught. I can't look away, and it seems like he can't either. He brings me closer and leans in, his breath tickling my face. "Kimmy.. I.."

And, of course, his phone chooses that moment to ring.

What wonderful luck I'm having today.

Jack lets me go and steps away awkwardly, clearing his throat. "Umm.. sorry, I've got to take this. You mind?" I shake my head, adjusting my cardigan.

He pulls his phone out of his pocket and walks away, his back to me.

A minute later, he comes back. "I'm so sorry, Kim, but I really have to go. I promise I'll walk you home again another time."

My face falls, and I look down so Jack won't notice. "That's all right." I put a brave face on, hoping he won't see through it like he usually does. "I guess I'll see you, then."

"Okay. Thanks. Bye." With that, he turns around and runs away. I watch him run until I can't see him anymore, then continue on my way. I was really hoping to get more alone time with him today. This first week back has been really hectic, and I want to spend some time with my boyfriend.

Wait. Is he even still my boyfriend?  
I wrack my brain, trying to remember whether we ever broke up or not. I can't recall anything of the sort, I just remember we drifted apart.

So does that make him my boyfriend still?

Ugh. I don't know anymore. It almost seems like the world as I knew it has fallen apart- which, come to think of it, it pretty much has.

**Jack's POV **

I rush into the fancy restaurant, smoothing my beautiful bouncy hair down as I scan the tables for Isabelle. I spot her sitting alone at a table for two, looking at her expensive silver watch with disdain.

"Hey. Sorry I'm late." I slide into the seat across from her. She looks up from her watch and glares at me.

"Ten minutes late, Jackson. I even had to call to remind you. Honestly, sometimes I have no idea why I am dating you." She replies, the expression on her face bored.

"I don't either." I mutter, ducking my head and pretending to look at the menu she shoves at me.

"What?" She snaps, looking sharply at me.

"I said… I said I know what I'm getting." I say as smoothly as I can without looking her in the eye.

She raises her eyebrows. "Okay…."

As she waves a waiter over to take our orders, I look her over. Long, straight black hair, slender, pale wrists, and piercing green eyes. The only thing marring her perfectly clear skin are the faint freckles dotting her nose and cheeks.

She's so different from Kim- and not just physically. She's so demanding, clingy, poised, and it seems like she's perfect all the time.

I don't even know how I ended up dating her- I think she asked me out and Bryden made me say yes because he was 'tired of me moping over Kim'. Yeah, that's probably it. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have said yes- after all, I had no idea who she was until she came up to me that day. Actually.. I still hardly know anything about her.

The waiter leaves, and Izzy and I are left sitting alone in awkward silence. My eyes roam over the ceiling, thinking of the million places I'd rather be right now. With Kim, for example. Walking her home, hanging out with her, teasing her… Even tickling her. She has the most beautiful laugh..

"So, Jackson." Izzy reaches across the table and rests her delicate hand on my arm. Before she can continue, I gently remove her hand from my arm.

"For the last time, _Isabelle_, it's Jack, not Jackson." I remind her, trying not to clench my teeth. She can be so annoying sometimes.

"Don't call me Isabelle, _Jackson. _Anyways, I was thinking, are you free on Saturday? There's this candle-making class for couples at this beautiful…" I zone out, not wanting to hear her.

I wish I was with Kim right now.. Ever since she came back, and even before then, she's been constantly on my mind. I can't stop thinking about her, which poses a problem during classes. Once, near the end of junior year, I even went so far as to answer 'Kim' when called on in math class. It was really embarrassing… I still haven't heard the end of it. But that's besides the point.

I wonder what she's doing right now. Is she thinking of me?

**Soo.. that's chapter four, I guess. Please review and tell me what you thought! **

**My excuse for a late update this time is that I'm juggling two sports teams right now- cross country and volleyball. I literally have a practice, meet, or game every single day of the week except for the weekends.. and it's exhausting me so badly. On top of that, I have a newspaper job, I have to play piano for an hour and a half a day, and I've got lots of homework. So.. yeah… to summarize it, I have a busy life. XD**

**Anyways.. hope you enjoyed. If you have anything to tell me that could possibly make this story (not to mention my writing) better, please go ahead and review! I love constructive criticism..**

**Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	5. Who Was That Girl?

**Thanks for the feedback, everyone! Ilysm. It really helped, and I promise I'm doing my best to fix everything. **

**Anyways..**

**Previously on Everything Has Changed:**

"So, Jackson." Izzy reaches across the table and rests her delicate hand on my arm. Before she can continue, I gently remove her hand from my arm.

"For the last time, _Isabelle_, it's Jack, not Jackson." I remind her, trying not to clench my teeth. She can be so annoying sometimes.

"Don't call me Isabelle, _Jackson. _Anyways, I was thinking, are you free on Saturday? There's this candle-making class for couples at this beautiful…" I zone out, not wanting to hear her.

I wish I was with Kim right now.. Ever since she came back, and even before then, she's been constantly on my mind. I can't stop thinking about her, which poses a problem during classes. Once, near the end of junior year, I even went so far as to answer 'Kim' when called on in math class. It was really embarrassing… I still haven't heard the end of it. But that's besides the point.

I wonder what she's doing right now. Is she thinking of me?

**Jack's POV, after the date**

I slam my bedroom door shut and throw my jacket at my wall. It makes a soft 'thunk' sound, then slides to the carpet in a heap. Dragging a chair to my desk, I sink down on it then flip my laptop open and turn it on. As I wait impatiently for it to boot, I put my head in my hands and try to calm myself down, to no avail.

Honestly, sometimes I wish I'd never met Izzy.

No, scratch that. Sometimes, I full-out hate her.

The laptop's screen lights up, displaying an old picture of Kim and I as its background picture. Oh, Izzy would kill me if she saw this. Hopefully, she never does. Whenever anyone asks, I just tell them I'm too lazy to change it, but to be honest, I don't want to change it. It makes me happy the same way talking to Kim does. In fact, just looking at it calms me down a bit.

Opening my internet browser, I immediately sign in to my instant messaging account. The second I'm on, a message pops up from the only person I feel like talking to right now:

**TheKimCrawford: Hey, Jack.**

I talk to Kim for a while, ignoring all my other messages. She tells me a little about her life in New York, and I have to admit, I thought it would be cooler. After all, it's New York, you know? The Big Apple, and all that?

But Kim makes it sound like she wasn't happy there, and she says the only friends she made weren't very nice to her.

I'm so glad she came back, y'know? With her, my life went from a dark, meaningless void to a less dark, more meaningful void. If that makes any sense.

**Kim's POV **

I tell Jack about my time in New York, leaving out the parts involving guys that hit on me and such, because I know he'd get mad. Jack's such a sweetheart, but sometimes he needs to be less overprotective.

After a while, I get tired of talking about myself and ask him where he was earlier.

**TheKimCrawford: So, where did you rush off to earlier?**

Impatiently, I tap my fingers on my keyboard and wait for his response. When he doesn't answer me, I send another message:

**TheKimCrawford: Jack? You there?**

After twenty minutes, I give up on waiting for him to answer and log off. I tell myself that I'll ask him tomorrow, and that his computer probably crashed or something. Stubbornly, I ignore the tiny voice in my head that's telling me Jack's hiding something from me. Jack isn't hiding something from me. He's my best friend; we've always told each other everything. Come to think of it, though, he has been acting really weird lately…

I still can't shake the feeling that he's hiding something from me, no matter how many times I tell the voice in my head to go away.

I guess I'm a little worried about him. I hope he's all right.

**The next day, at school**

** Still Kim's POV**

"Jack!" I spot him walking ahead of me, and run up to him as fast as my high heels will allow.

"Oh, hey, Kim. What's up?" He smiles, and I melt inside.

"Nothing much." I smile back at him, striking up a random conversation about Science class. He complains about the teacher and the amount of homework.

"Okay, so my science teacher talks like this:" He whispers so quietly I can barely hear him. "Turn to page eleven and look at questions four, five and six." I laugh. "And he gives us, like, five pages of homework every single- whoa!" He cries, and my eyes instantly snap to where he's looking.

"What?" I turn back to him only to find that he's disappeared. "Jack?" I glance around. No Jack to be seen. "That's weird." I mutter.

**Jack's POV**

"Whoa!" I cry as someone pulls me away from Kim, grabbing my arm with a grip of iron and dragging me away from the flow of students. Twisting my arm, I turn so I can see my captor's face.

Isabelle. Of course.

Once we're out of sight of Kim, she lets go of me.

"What do you want? You don't even go to this school." I comment, rubbing my arm.

"Who was that girl?" She demands, her long, pink nails drumming against her leg.

"What girl?" I ask. She glares at me impatiently. "Oh. You mean Kim."

"Yes. Who is she?"

"My girlfriend." I say out of habit, before I can stop myself. Isabelle's expression begins to darken. "I mean, my friend. That's a girl. You know, my friend that's a girl?"

"That'd better be all she is." She hisses, then her face promptly brightens. "Remember, we've got a candle-making class for couples on Saturday. Be there."

With that, she turns and walks away.

** Okay, I know, short chapter. The thing is, I'm not really sure if this story is going anywhere- I don't even have an ultimate goal for it. Yesterday, I was on the verge of deleting it, but I didn't because I'm going to give it another chance and keep on writing. So, if you guys have any ideas whatsoever, I'd be really happy to hear them. If not, that's all right. Please review! **

** Lol sorry I always have authors notes with reasons I can't update and stuff. I'm trying not to make it a regular thing.**

** Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	6. Chapter 6

**Kay looks like I'm not gonna be deleting this! Haha you guys make me smile. Special thanks to IfSacrificesWereEasy for amazing ideas!**

** Previously on Everything Has Changed: **

**Jack's POV**

"Whoa!" I cry as someone pulls me away from Kim, grabbing my arm with a grip of iron and dragging me away from the flow of students. Twisting my arm, I turn so I can see my captor's face.

Isabelle. Of course.

Once we're out of sight of Kim, she lets go of me.

"What do you want? You don't even go to this school." I comment, rubbing my arm.

"Who was that girl?" She demands, her long, pink nails drumming against her leg.

"What girl?" I ask. She glares at me impatiently. "Oh. You mean Kim."

"Yes. Who is she?"

"My girlfriend." I say out of habit, before I can stop myself. Isabelle's expression begins to darken. "I mean, my friend. That's a girl. You know, my friend that's a girl?"

"That'd better be all she is." She hisses, then her face promptly brightens. "Remember, we've got a candle-making class for couples on Saturday. Be there."

With that, she turns and walks away.

** Still Jack's POV**

As soon as she's out of earshot, I groan. Candle making with Isabelle, oh joy.

What comes next, Japanese flower arranging for couples?

I make my way to my locker, my eyes combing the crowd for Kim although I know she's probably at her locker already. "Looking for Kim, aren't you?" A voice questions from behind me. I jump, then turn around. What is it with people and sneaking up on me today?

"Yeah. You seen her?" I ask. Grace looks up, as if the answer's going to be written on the ceiling.

"Nope. Anyways, we need to talk." She blows a strand of hair out of her face.

"Aren't we talking now?" I say.

Grace rolls her eyes. "No, in private, stupido." Well, someone hangs out with a certain latino too much. With that, she drags me away from my locker.

"Again with the dragging." I mutter. Prying her hand of my arm, I tell her, "Later, okay? We're gonna be late for class."

She glares at me. "Fine. But if we haven't talked by the end of the day..." She leaves the open threat hanging in the air.

"Whatever." Nothing she can do can hurt me.

** At lunch that day, Kim's POV**

"So that was how he got covered in spitballs." Kim and I are sitting alone outside against the wall. Kim's telling me about how her second period teacher got bombarded with spitballs when he fell asleep during a test.

"Wow. I wish I was there." I chuckle. Stories come alive when Kim tells them- she has a gift of sorts, I guess.

"Yeah.." Kim agrees. We eat our lunches in comfortable silence for a while, then my phone buzzes. I glance at it.

_What you told me this morning better be true. –Izzy_

I text her back.

_It is. –J_

Kim finishes her lunch and scoots closer to me, leaning her head on my shoulder like she used to so long ago.

"Jack?" She says softly.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"Nothing." She smiles.

My phone buzzes again.

_Get. Away. From. Her. NOW.–Izzy_

I look up sharply to scan the area, but can't see her anywhere. She's got to be around here somewhere, though…

_Talking like that just makes you sound like you have asthma. –J_

"Who you texting?" Kim wonders.

"No one." I shove my phone into my pocket, deciding that I'm going to ignore Isabelle for now. I don't get enough time with Kim as it is, no need to let Isabelle ruin it.

"Okay. Anyways, I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my house and spar for a bit on Saturday?" She asks, reaching up and running her fingers through my hair. I tense for a moment, then relax. Kim's the only person who's allowed to touch my hair. "I mean, just like old times, y'know? Just because the dojo's gone, "she chokes a little on the word gone, but manages to compose herself. "Just because the dojo's gone, doesn't mean we have to stop our karate."

"Sure, sounds great." I agree absentmindedly, still trying to locate Isabelle. I'm beginning to think she's gone when my phone starts to buzz incessantly. I pull it out to turn it off, but one of the texts catches my eye:

_Dude. You promised we'd talk. I'm in the cafeteria. Come now, or else. –Grace_

I scan the rest of my messages:

_So, man, when you gonna tell Kim you've got a girlfriend now? Oh, and tell Kim I said hi. I haven't seen her around much. –Swagmaster_

_ Jackson, you're a liar. From the way that girl is looking at you, there is no way you're just friends. –Izzy_

_ Jackson. Answer me. –Izzy_

_ I'm coming over there in ten seconds if you don't answer me. –Izzy_

Three people texting me at once. I answer them all as quickly as I can, thumbs flying, then jump up as soon as I'm done. Kim hastily untangles her fingers from my hair and looks up at me. A flash of hurt clouds her clear brown eyes.

"Where you going?"

"I'm sorry. I gotta go." I run backwards, saying, "I'll walk you home today, okay?"

She nods simply, and I turn and run for the cafeteria, praying Isabelle won't try to approach Kim.

**Kim's POV**

I sigh and watch Jack go. It seems like he's been doing this so much lately- leaving me abruptly and without explanation. To be honest, it sort of feels like I'm not as big a part of his life as I used to be, and there are more important things for him to be doing now.

Maybe that's what it really is.

I'll admit it hurts a lot, but to be honest, I can't say I really blame him.

**Grace's POV**

"Jack." I regard him coolly as he pulls a chair up backwards and sits down at my table.

"You wanted to talk. So talk." Is his reply. He rests his arms on the back of the chair he's sitting at, looking bored.

"Okay. Listen. Kim may not know about your girlfriend, but I do. I also know that you haven't told her about Bella or Anabel or whatever her name is."

"Isabelle. It's Isabelle." He cuts in.

"Whatever. It doesn't matter. Anyways, my point is, you haven't told Kim about your girlfriend." I say.

"So…?" He asks, tightening his grip on the back of his chair. "That matters to you why?"

"It matters to me because Kim is my best friend, and you're playing her, like it or not." He opens his mouth to defend himself, but quickly and wisely shuts it when I glare at him. "She thinks you're still in love with her. Heck, she's still in love with you! And I know I sound like a grandma or something when I say this, but you're not being honest with her. You need to tell her about Lizabeth-"

"Isabelle." He interjects. "You weren't even close this time."

"Again, you're missing the point. Sooner or later, you're going to have to tell her you have a girlfriend. It's not like she's going to murder you for not telling you- I think she'll actually be madder-madder, is that a word?- angrier if she finds out in six months that you didn't tell her." He'll listen to me if he wants to stay on Kim's good side.

He's silent for a moment. "And if I don't want to?"

I shrug, meeting his eyes. "Then you face the wrath of the killer lamb."

He stares at me, his face an unreadable mask, then gets up and leaves without another word. Almost immediately, another guy slides into his seat. I don't even bother looking at his face, because I know what he's here to do. Call me cold-hearted, but to me, he's just another faceless, nameless guy hitting on me. I haven't really paid attention to guys since Jerry.

"Hey, girl. Want to-" I don't even let him finish.

"Sorry, no. I'm busy this weekend. My sister's friend's aunt's cousin's daughter's goldfish's daughter died. It really is tragic." I casually gather my stuff and go, leaving him confused and still looking at the spot where I was sitting moments ago.

As I cross the cafeteria, a petite brown-haired girl in a bright green cardigan bumps into me, making me drop my phone. It skitters away from us, stopping a few feet away. Apologizing profusely, she picks it up for me.

"No scratches." She observes, handing it back to me. "Phew."

"Thanks." I smile warmly at her.

"I'm really so sorry." She seems to have some sort of accent, but I'm unable to place it. "Umm.. hello?" She waves her hand in front of my face, and I realize I've been staring into space.

"Oh. Yeah. It's all right, really." I assure her.

"Okay. Good." She grins prettily. My eyes follow her as she walks over to a nearby table and sits across from a dark haired latino. My heart skips a beat as I realize who it is.

It never affected me when he hit on girls after we broke up, so why do I suddenly feel like running over there and punching the girl in the face? I exit the cafeteria feeling a little flustered. Whoopee.

**Ooh.. can anyone tell me who the 'petite brown-haired girl' is? I sense some drama..**

** And how many of you are doing #projectbeautiful ? I'm so excited to see all the oneshots other writers are putting up. **

** Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


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